


Just One More Step Towards Forever

by Spoodlemonkey



Category: Men's Hockey RPF
Genre: Car Accidents, Established Relationship, Hospitals, Hurt/Comfort, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-10
Updated: 2019-04-10
Packaged: 2020-01-11 03:19:12
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,458
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18421740
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Spoodlemonkey/pseuds/Spoodlemonkey
Summary: Jamie’s knuckles are scraped raw.





	Just One More Step Towards Forever

**Author's Note:**

> HUGE thanks to Miniatures and GreyMichaela for reading this over for me! Any other mistakes are my own and since I'm running a fever WHO KNOWS what you might find! It's a treasure hunt. Don't know, don't own.
> 
> HAPPY PLAYOFFS- LET'S GO BOYS!

Jamie’s knuckles are scraped raw. For once not from a brawl on the ice, dropping his gloves because someone took a cheap shot at one of his guys, or the game is lagging and they need a  _ spark _ to get them moving again. His left wrist is throbbing slowly, steadily. He keeps it as still as he can, resting across his stomach because moving it just makes it worse. Moving makes  _ everything _ worse.

His ribs ache fiercely like he’s been boarded by Wilson  _ again _ \- this time without the revenge. His whole body feels like a giant bruise, like he’s been bag skated, worked over and dumped on the ground to pick himself back up again. 

He’d had a hell of a time picking himself back up.

What’s  _ really _ driving him crazy though is the cut above his eye. He needs stitches, he knows, has had enough before to realize when he needs them. They’ve slapped gauze on it, enough to keep it from dripping down like it had been when they wheeled him in, but it  _ itches _ and he’s trying his damndest to ignore it. 

“Don’t touch it, Mister Benn.” The nurse has the eerie ability to appear whenever Jamie’s good hand starts twitching up towards his forehead. 

“I wasn’t.”

She gives him a bland smile and checks his IV. Despite all his tattoos, he fucking  _ hates _ needles. 

“We’ll have a doctor by to talk to you about getting your X-rays soon.” She scoops up his chart, making a quick note. They’ve tucked him into a room close to the ER and the nurses at the station outside his room have strict instructions not to let anyone in. He hates it. But the media had showed up about ten minutes after they’d wheeled him in and what had once been organized chaos had only devolved from there. Being kept separate keeps him out of photos, and the media out of the doctors’ way. He’d lost his phone in the wreck, remembers having it connected to the speaker to play the songs Tyler had sent him, but after the crash he’s not sure where it ended up. He can’t imagine what they have on TV, what they’re telling people. He hopes the hospital got ahold of Jordie, let him know he was alright.

“How’re the others?” 

The nurse pauses and something in her bland expression flickers for a moment. Jamie has a feeling he has his answer. 

“Most of the other people involved in the accident are recovering nicely, but a few require more extensive treatment.” She glances Jamie over, almost like she’s just now realizing he’s still in his blood stained jeans and t-shirt. “I’m just going to grab a gown for you to change into.” 

She’s gone before Jamie can ask her if everyone made it.

He closes his eyes, exhausted, but all he can see is the crash. He’d taken the highway back from the arena, figuring it would cut down on time, giving him more time to get changed before he went over to Tyler’s. He’d been nervous, excited, his stomach a rolling ball of anticipation. His mind had been elsewhere, picturing Tyler’s beautiful smile, his contagious laugh. He wonders if it would’ve made any difference if he’d been paying closer attention. 

The smell of burning rubber is something he can’t shake. 

He reaches for the nurse’s button. A moment later a harried young man pokes his head through the door.

“If there’s a free second, could I get a phone in here?” 

“Yeah, sure.” The nurse is gone a second later and Jamie’s left feeling like he’s been dismissed. 

He  _ hates _ this. 

His entire body protests as he carefully slides off the bed. He bites his lip to stifle his gasp, clutching his wrist close to his body like it will somehow keep the pain from radiating up and down his arm and through his chest. No one comes bursting through the door so he chalks it up to a victory. He’s unsteady on his feet but they at least left his shoes on when they stuck him in there so he doesn’t have to wander barefoot through the hospital. 

The IV is a problem, at least until he figures out he can wheel the stand with him.

He cracks the door open but the nursing station only has the one harried-looking nurse and as Jamie watches, he hurries down the corridor. 

Jamie takes that as a sign. 

The first few feet are a testament to his tolerance for pain. It’s a little hard to breathe with how sore his ribs are, but he  _ knows _ they’re not broken- that’s not a pain you forget quickly- and he ends up sweating profusely, but he makes it down the hall and around the corner without getting caught.

It probably helps that he’s not running around with a dressing gown, his ass hanging out. 

That’s not a photo he needs online.

It’s… incredibly easy to get lost after that.

He doesn’t run into many people, most of the staff are probably on hand for the crash, but the few he does barely spare him a glance. Most people don’t escape their rooms, he’s guessing. 

It takes him forever but he finally finds a desk with a phone. He’s shaking by then, legs and arms weak, head spinning. The IV stand is holding him up. His shirt is soaked through with sweat. He collapses into the plush chair behind the desk and paws at the phone, trying to tug it closer. He’s not sure where he is but it’s quiet, empty at this time of evening. He fumbles a little with the phone, dialing the familiar numbers. It rings and rings and rings. 

Frustrated, he hangs up and tries again. It goes to voicemail. 

“Hey Tyler—” He clears his throat. “I don’t know if it’s up on the news yet, but I got into an accident. I’m okay, I swear. Just a few bruises. But in case you saw something on the news, I just wanted to… touch base? I’m not gonna make it to your place tonight, obviously.” He huffs out a laugh, eyes stinging a little. He remembers his sore wrist in time to stop himself from rubbing at them. “So um, call Jordie I guess?”

The voicemail ends before he can finish. He seriously considers calling back, gets halfway through dialing before realizing he’s being silly. 

He just wants to hear Tyler’s voice. 

There’s a couch and set of chairs nearby, the weird padded hospital kind, but it looks inviting to his sore body. He wheels himself over with the desk chair and awkwardly pries himself out of it and onto the couch. It’s not ideal. Hospital couches aren’t made for grown hockey players, but he’s exhausted and his body is seizing up, stiff and sore. He needs a break before he tries to find his way back. 

He probably shouldn’t have left.

Jamie tilts his head back, sinking down further. 

He’s back at the crash. 

His mind is drifting, mostly on the road ahead but he’s taken this route so many times it’s like muscle memory. The rest of him is thinking about Tyler, about the key in his pocket, about what he’s going to ask him. 

A tractor trailer gets cut off by a BMW. Jamie watches it happen in slow motion - the way it swerves, starts to topple. The trailer behind it can’t brake in time. They collide, steel folding like paper. There’s a crunch, the squeal of tires, glass shattering. It’s horrifying - one car after another. Jamie pumps his breaks, tries to keep the wheel steady. Something hits him, his truck jerks. His seat belt cuts into his ribs, his head hits the glass. 

Everything is black.

“Mr. Benn?” A hand on his shoulder startles him. He flinches, hissing when it jostles his bruises. The bland nurse from before is peering down at him with a frown. “We’ve been looking for you.” 

Jamie blinks, trying to process her words. There’s a crick in his neck when he tries to sit up. His body is stiff, uncooperative. 

“What do you think you’re doing?” 

“I needed a phone.” He forgets himself, rubbing his sore hand over his face. He winces. “I had someone I needed to call. Let them know I was okay.”

She glances over at the desk, her expression softening.

“Did you get ahold of them?”

He shakes his head. God, all he wants right now is Tyler. 

“We’ll keep trying for you, if you want.” She purses her lips and gets a strong arm around his waist, helping him to his feet. “I’ll get the number from you back in the room.”

They start an unsteady walk back down the hall, Jamie letting himself be led, trying to hold himself up as whatever adrenaline he’d had fades fast. Looking back, he honestly isn’t sure how he made it all that way by himself. 

“There are a lot of people looking for you.” The nurse keeps up the conversation as they make their way, probably well aware of the fact that Jamie’s crashing. “You gave them quite a scare.” 

He makes it back to the room under his own power, but only just. They round the corner and the nurse calls for an extra hand - Jamie’s sagging a bit - and a familiar head pops up. His curls are a mess and his face is lined with worry but Tyler is absolutely  _ stunning. _

“ _ Tyler _ ,” Jamie breathes and a moment later he’s being swept up into a bone crushing hug. He groans and Tyler immediately lets go. Panicking, Jamie fumbles for him, tries to pull him close again. He doesn’t realize how distressed he is until Tyler has his face held in his hands, shushing him gently. 

“I’m here, I’ve got you.” He strokes along Jamie’s cheek, eyes wide and wounded as he takes in all of the bumps and bruises he can see. “God,  _ Jamie _ .” 

“Maybe we should take this inside,” the nurse prompts and Tyler hurries to Jamie’s side, helping to take his weight. 

It’s easier, between the three of them, to get Jamie back to the bed. His shirt gets cut right off, blood stained and torn, leaving him shivering in the cool hospital room. Tyler helps him out of his shoes and jeans, thankfully leaving his socks, and then into the hospital gown.

He’s still shaking when he manages to get back into the bed, blankets piled on top of him to help. Tyler drags a chair over and grips his hand tight, big brown eyes shining and worried. 

“You shouldn’t have to wait long now,” the nurse reassures him. He isn’t sure how long he’s been waiting as is - time travels strangely in hospitals. “The doctor was actually looking for you when you went for your walk.” 

There’s a hint of a smile on her face as she leaves them, pointedly closing the door behind her. 

Jamie sags back against the pillows, overwhelmed and exhausted and just desperately wishing he were at home. 

“Fuck,” Tyler breathes and presses a kiss to his hand, careful of the IV. “I was  _ so worried _ . I saw on the news and you weren’t answering your phone…”

“Hey.” Jamie tries to tug him closer but he doesn’t have the energy. “I’m okay, my truck took the worst of it.”

Tyler lets out a laugh that turns into a sob and ducks his head. 

“I’d hate to see how bad your truck is. It looked  _ terrible _ on TV.” 

“Any excuse for a new one,” Jamie jokes, but it falls flat. “Tyler. Tyler,  _ look _ at me,” he pleads, rewarded when Tyler turns his red rimmed eyes on Jamie. They’re both  _ just _ holding it together. “Come up here, please?” 

Tyler glances at the door. Jamie squeezes his hand.

“I need you,” he admits quietly. 

Tyler nods sharply, and pushes to his feet, helping Jamie slide over far enough that they can both squeeze onto the mattress. It’s an awkward fit, but Tyler holds him close, lets him rest his head on his shoulder and it’s  _ perfect. _

“I was so scared.” Tyler murmurs. “I couldn’t get ahold of you… and then Jordie phoned.” 

“They got Jordie?” 

“Yeah, he’s catching a flight out in the morning. It was the first one he could get. Your parents and Jess too.” 

It’s going to be chaos having them all there. He couldn’t be happier. 

Well. He could...

“I had a plan.” Jamie tilts his head so he can see Tyler, catch his gaze. “I was going to ask you to move in with me tonight.” 

Tyler’s expression does something complicated before going soft and fond. He presses a gentle kiss to Jamie’s temple. 

“And now?” he asks quietly.

The key’s still in his jeans. He doesn’t need it though - he could care less where they end up, so long as they’re together. It’s not a startling thought, he’s been thinking about it for awhile, knows that it’s all leading up to a bigger question he wants to ask Tyler. 

“Will you move in with me?” 

Tyler huffs out a laugh and slides down the bed far enough that he can meet Jamie’s lips for a sweet, slow kiss. 

“On one condition.” 

Jamie waits patiently, knowing he’ll promise Tyler anything for a chance at a future together. 

Tyler’s expression is oddly serious. “Make me your second emergency contact. Keep Jordie, but I just can’t stand not knowing if something happens to you.” 

Jamie has to swallow around a sudden lump in his throat. 

“And you’ll be mine,” Tyler continues. He strokes a hand along Jamie’s arm, the touch soothing, grounding. “If anything were to ever happen to me, I’d want you to know.” 

Jamie doesn’t know what to say to that. 

So he nods, not trusting his voice. It’s a big step, a statement. He’s ready for it.

Tyler’s smile is so stunning he just has to feel it pressed against his own.

“Okay,” Tyler says as they part. “I’ll move in with you.” 

There’s a sharp  _ rap _ on the door and an older woman with greying hair pokes her head in. 

“Mr. Benn?” She arches an eyebrow at the sight of them both on the bed but doesn’t comment. “I’m Doctor Lang, I’m sorry it took so long to get to you. It’s been a very long night.” 

“It’s fine, doc.” Jamie keeps his hold on Tyler when he makes to slide out of the bed. 

“I’m just going to walk you through a few things and then we’ll get you off to x rays. I know you must be eager to get home.”

Jamie meets Tyler's eyes, feeling warm for the first time in hours.

“You have  _ no _ idea.” 

 


End file.
